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We walk down the tree-lined street away from Erik’s. I still can’t get over all the beautiful landscaping. Or how clean and pristine all the buildings are. “The trees and flowers are so pretty.”

Bannik glances at me. “Do you not have them on Earth?”

“Not really. At least, not anymore.” It’s been a long, long time. “When the population grew so large and cities had to build and expand, they destroyed all the natural habitat and forestry and replaced it all with more buildings.”

“That’s terrible.”

I nod. “Agreed. But it tends to happen when people get greedy. The richest men in the world destroyed it all for profit.”

“How very sad for you and the rest of the humans. I’m not sure I can ever understand why there are those who have everything, and yet, it’s never enough.” Bannik’s disgust is obvious.

I glance over at him. “Sounds like you might have some experience with people like that.”

His eyes meet mine. “My older brother.”

Ouch. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Doesn’t make me any less sorry.” I smile gently. “I can’t imagine how painful that must be for you.”

“Thank you. He’s no longer in my life, which is for the best.” Bannik faces forward again. “Do you have any siblings?”

My chest aches. “Not anymore.”

He darts a glance my way again. “You did at one time?”

I swallow down the grief that’s never quite left no matter how many years have passed. “I had a younger sister. She died when she was five and I was eight.”

“This time, it is I who am sorry.” Bannik palms his chest.

“Thank you. It was years ago.”

“I don’t think that matters though when it comes to grief.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

We pass under an archway that spans from one side of the road to the other. Twining teal vines decorate it and small, white flowers burst from random buds. I breathe in the fragrance and try to identify the notes, but everything smells so different here than back home. Not bad. Just different. I point up at them.

“Do those have a name?”

“It is called the Kavaki vine.”

“And the flowers?”

“Calanthium.”

“They’re lovely.”

The streets have grown more crowded the longer we walk, but at least people aren’t gawking like they were the first day of our arrival. I take in the architecture of the surrounding buildings and can’t help but remain in awe of it. A shadow falls over us and I glance up at the sky again.A large space craft hangs low and is slowly descending somewhere nearby.

Bannik points at it. “That is one of the Kundartha’s ships. They’re frequent visitors to Bohna.”

I try to recall any of the information we were given on our flight here as well as what Johnna told us. “Preska is a trading port, isn’t it?”

“It is,” he confirms. “Not a large one, but we do our fair amount. Mostly precious metals and some tech. We also do our own trading with one of the nearby planets.”

That surprises me. The Bohnari appear to have everything they need. They’re technologically advanced well beyond Earth. Nothing I’ve heard would make me think they would need to trade for anything. “Really? Anything specific?”